Football Notebook: Three Things to Know From Post-Practice Availability

STILLWATER — The Oklahoma State football team held its weekly media availability Tuesday where everything from Kansas State to mustaches were spoken on.

Here are three talking points from Tuesday.

1. Sinor Talks Muffed Snap

Before Saturday, Zach Sinor said the last punt he mishandled, including in practices, was the Pitt game last season.

Sinor, OSU’s punter, had an out on the Pitt one, as the snap was high. Saturday, though, he said he wasn’t sure what went wrong.

“I don’t know what happened,” Sinor said. “I don’t know what went through my head. I don’t know if I took my eyes off the ball. Tried to watch the film, couldn’t really get a good look at it. I watched the TV copy. I really don’t know what happened. I just messed up. I made a mistake, and I had to play through it.”

Sinor missed the Cowboys’ opening three games this season recovering from hernia surgery. He said entering the Texas Tech game brought excitement he hadn’t felt in a while. The result was Sinor hitting a career-long 67-yard punt on his first attempt this season.

“That’s probably the most nervous, besides my first year punting at Central Michigan, honestly,” Sinor said. “I don’t know what it was; I guess maybe because I missed the first three games.

“That first punt I had so much adrenaline going. I had the sun in my eyes, so I couldn’t even see the ball, so I didn’t even know if it was good or not. I just heard the crowd, so I was like, ‘Oh, I guess it was good. Good enough.'”

Sinor has punted 15 times this season where he has averaged 46.93 yards per attempt, putting four inside the 20, forcing five fair catches. That average is five yards farther than his career average was entering the season.

Despite the improved averages, punters don’t often make the headlines unless something goes wrong as it did with Iowa State. Sinor said he is working to ensure that doesn’t happen again.

“I’ve just been getting more reps,” Sinor said. “More snaps, more catches. Just hope it doesn’t happen again.”

2. Rally Stache

Dillon Stoner might have found a solution to the Cowboys’ underwhelming start.

Debuted to the masses Tuesday, for the first time this season, above Stoner’s upper lip was a mustache

“The stache is new,” Stoner said. “I wore a stache last year, and it’s not much to brag about.

“The rally stache is what I call it.”

Quarterback Taylor Cornelius said he is a fan, and he has some tips to fill it out.

“I love it,” Cornelius said. “He told me he cut if off the other day. It was after Saturday, he cut it off. It looks good, though.

“He needs to maybe put a little mascara on it, doctor it up a little bit.”

Cornelius rocks a beard, and he said the stache movement isn’t on his horizon.

“I don’t look as good as him in a stache,” Cornelius said. “I’ll let him do that.”

3. Hubbard Says Kick Return Will Come ‘Sooner or Later’

At his luncheon Monday, OSU coach Mike Gundy discussed what would be deemed a returnable kick or whether Chuba Hubbard should call a fair catch and take the ball at the 25.

Gundy said it had a lot to do with hang time. Hubbard returned four kicks against Iowa State on Saturday for 102 yards with a long of 33. Against Texas Tech two weeks before, Hubbard only had two attempts for 28 yards, and he fair caught the others.

Gundy said if Hubbard is making good decisions, the ensuing drive should at least be at the 20, and Hubbard is worth taking a bit of a risk with some balls.

“He’s a fast guy,” Gundy said. “He’s gonna come out of there, it won’t be long. When he does, it’ll be worth it.”

Gundy said Hubbard wants to return every one, a sentiment Hubbard confirmed Tuesday. The OSU special teams have been a weak point for the Cowboys the past few seasons, but Hubbard said he’s looking to change that.

The Cowboys haven’t scored from a kick return since Tyreek Hill did so against Kansas on Oct. 11, 2014.